Clutch



Jan. 27, 1931'. M. BIRKl-GT l,790,400

C'LUTGH Filed June 10, 1,929

l my.

'NJ-@l lf l @TQM Patented Jan. 27, 1931VV l i Y 1,790,400` i MARcBiRxiGT, or Bois-conoivrrnszrniincn 1 cLU'rcn l Application ined .Tune 1o,V 1929, serial No. 369,747, 4and inY switzerland Manhay, i929.

The present invention relates to clutches.

and, more particularly, to the type of clutch structures now commonly in use on automobiles. i' 5 In clutch assemblies as ordinarily constructed a certain amount of chattering and vibration is found to exist at the moment that j the clutch is thrown in.V--T`his vibration is known to be caused by minute fleXions of the driving or of the driven shaft. As the motor advances in age, the driving and Vdriven `shafts turn less and less true andthe vibra-- tion due to flexion is supplemented by that'due to irregularities in the turning movement.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide means operable tocorrect irregulari? ties in the' rotation of'either ofthe interengaging elements forming the clutch.

Another object is to provide means oper-v Y ed to Wheel 1r/,said casing being providedwith internal longitudinal groovesV c serving as.

Vguides for teeth formed on driving discs cof-CZ, an end-pressure member also having teeth slidably engaging kin grooves c, saidy member being integral with a guide Z1 terminating in an abutting portion Zlprovided with a spherical surface daf-6, the dri-ven Vshaft, f, a disc rigidly bolted to casing' and carrying an annular slide fl fitted-'With`a t plurality of springs g,-L, aguiding element mounted in grooves formed ,on driven shaft e and having external longitudinal grooves formed therein coactingvvith teeth formed Y on the internal periphery'of drivendiscs. ikz', a sleeve fitting Vloosely over shaft ef and terminating in an abutting portion z'l,-j, an annular ring having a spherical surface jl coacting with surface cl3 -and slida'blymounted on radial surface lf-k, a ball bearing,andl L, alever controlling theclutch a'ssembly.-

l From the-foregoing description," it `Willnbe seen tliat'vvhen lever'L ismovedfrom'left to right, abutment l Willmove' inwardfand. figg cause pressure memberd to bring `discs c? andhl into frictional:engagementb If, for 'any reason, fly-Wheel a' or any ofthe elements engaging therewith do notturnltruefspherL i ilcal"coi`itacting surfacesl d'-",'jl`vvillllpermit 6e sleeve-z' (Whichis free offgshalft e) 'to' yfollow j ythe irregularities in the movement Aofftliefly Wliee'land the-chatteringor vibration nor- Vmally[unavoidable iny clutch assemblies-Will A be done away with. i Joint dl, jl`may,`l in' other Words,jbe consideredto constitute a universal joint rendering themo-vements of the elements j v mountedo'n Hyg-.Wheel dindependent of those enacting with sleeve z'. It Will be' noted that ,ring j -is'notint'egral With element il but is 7e slidable on radialisurface I2.- This form of construction is designed to correct any defect inthe intersection of the axes of shaft c and of the main crankshaft due to Wear or otliercause.V Sphericalsurfaces d3, jl act as a V7'5 simple universal jointas long asthe axes of said shaftslie in alignment, ringv j remaining immovable on surface 2. As soon as the ,aforementioned aXes cease to lie in alignment, the sliding movement of ring j on surface z2 ga correctsV this defect, surfaces all, jl continuing to function as before. Obviously, in order that ring j may follovvthe movementof either one of the shafts, it must be'mounted in float;V ing relation to both. 1 ltWil-l be noted that, in the drawing, the external' surface of element z' is shown in sliding Contact, with the internal surface of element Afl. While, at first hand, it might ap-Y' pear that this contact would prevent free ecV i movement of element z' relatively to the fly- Wheel assembly, in actual practice it is'found that this is not the case, element c' `being only displaced by amounts so small that, if the. contact is afloose sliding fit (and providedv o5 z' is designed so as to bend slightly), its proper functioning is not interfered with.

While the invention has been illustrated as applied to a clutch of the multipleV disc type, it is apparent that it may be used l10Q equally Well in clutches operating on other principles.

What I claim is l. In combination, a driving shaft, a driven shaft, and clutch means interposed between said driving and driven shafts, said clutch means including a first element rotatable coaxially with one of said shafts, a second element having` a spherical surface formed thereon, said second element being slidably mounted on said first element in directions radial to the axis of one of said shafts and a third element having a spherical surface, adapted to coact with the spherical surface of the second element, said third ele'- ment being displaceable in directions forming an angle with the axis of rotation of the first element.

2. In combination, a driving shaft, a driven shaft, and clutch means interposed between said shafts and adapted to connect the latter in driving' and driven relation, said clutch means including an assembly mounted on the driving shaft, clutch actuating' means, a displaceableelement connected to said clutch actuating' means and movable invdirections substantially parallel tothe axis of the driven shaft, an element articulating universally With one of the elements forming said assembly and positioned to contact with the displaceable element to slide radially with respect thereto. p

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

MARC BIRKIGT. u 

